Cat5/6 Question

[RBW]

How many of the eight cores are actually used by an IP camera?

All eight?

Which core do what?

The same for all makes of ip camera?

:rugby:

 

[fenderman]

Generally 4

 

[Maconi]

Cat5 and under only use 4 wires (2 pairs) and while technically Cat5e and Cat6 use all 8 wires (4 pairs), in the case of security cameras it's technically not necessary bandwidth-wise (considering some of the most demanding cameras barely push 20MB/s).

I'm assuming you're trying to be thrifty and use 1 Ethernet cable for 2 cameras (4 wires/2 pairs each)?

 

[fenderman]

Cat5 and under only use 4 wires (2 pairs) and while technically Cat5e and Cat6 use all 8 wires (4 pairs), in the case of security cameras it's not necessary (considering some of the most demanding cameras barely push 20MB/s).

I'm assuming you're trying to be thrifty and use 1 Ethernet cable for 2 cameras (4 wires/2 pairs each)?

Regardless of the cable, an ip camera which is 10/100 will only use 2 pairs unless you are powering the camera with POE mode B - usually used by some midspan injectors. Using a regular poe switch which is mode A you will still only use 2 pair (4 wires).

 

[PSPCommOp]

Regardless of the cable, an ip camera which is 10/100 will only use 2 pairs unless you are powering the camera with POE mode B - usually used by some midspan injectors. Using a regular poe switch which is mode A you will still only use 2 pair (4 wires).

@fenderman, whats the difference between the PoE modes?

 

[tangent]

Often all 8 wires are in use with Power over Ethernet. But sometimes 2-4 wires can go unused on a 10/100 link.


Via wikipedia:

Pins at switch	T568A color	T568B color	10/100 mode B, DC on spares	10/100 mode A, mixed DC & data	1000 (1 gigabit) mode B, DC & bi-data	1000 (1 gigabit) mode A, DC & bi-data
Pin 1	White/green stripe	White/orange stripe	Rx +		Rx +	DC +	TxRx A +		TxRx A +	DC +
Pin 2	Green solid	Orange solid	Rx −		Rx −	DC +	TxRx A −		TxRx A −	DC +
Pin 3	White/orange stripe	White/green stripe	Tx +		Tx +	DC −	TxRx B +		TxRx B +	DC −
Pin 4	Blue solid	Blue solid		DC +	Unused	TxRx C +	DC +	TxRx C +
Pin 5	White/blue stripe	White/blue stripe		DC +	Unused	TxRx C −	DC +	TxRx C −
Pin 6	Orange solid	Green solid	Tx −		Tx −	DC −	TxRx B −		TxRx B −	DC −
Pin 7	White/brown stripe	White/brown stripe		DC −	Unused	TxRx D +	DC −	TxRx D +
Pin 8	Brown solid	Brown solid		DC −	Unused	TxRx D −	DC −	TxRx D −

802.3af Standards A and B from the power sourcing equipment perspective

 

[PSPCommOp]

Often all 8 wires are in use with Power over Ethernet. But sometimes 2-4 wires can go unused on a 10/100 link.

A lot of this is new to me, I'm still picking it up... Does it make a difference if its terminated 568A as opposed to 568B is that not relevant to the PoE mode?

 

[tangent]

A lot of this is new to me, I'm still picking it up... Does it make a difference if its terminated 568A as opposed to 568B is that not relevant to the PoE mode?

No, just terminate both ends of the cable the same way. T568B is used most often for data wiring and T568A for phone. If you do one end A and the other B you've made a crossover cable, which is largely irrelevant with today's switches.

 

[OrangeWing]

@tangent is exactly right... and @Maconi is correct on the bandwidth. Dont waste the $$ and/or the problems dealing with stiff Cat 6 cable. For the bandwidth IP cams use, go with Cat 5e cable! The video and bandwidth cannot tell the difference!

 

[PSPCommOp]

I've wired some of my home with Cat5e but purchased a roll of Cat6 for use with my IP Cam System. The plastic core makes a big difference and the difference in wire gauge was def noticeable.

 

[tangent]

@tangent is exactly right... and @Maconi is correct on the bandwidth. Dont waste the $$ and/or the problems dealing with stiff Cat 6 cable. For the bandwidth IP cams use, go with Cat 5e cable! The video and bandwidth cannot tell the difference!

5e is enough, but the spline in many Cat-6 cables can actually prevent you from damaging the cable during install by bending it too sharply or pulling on it too hard.